In light of the EOL status of the Bionic, this method may no longer be the most cost effective, as the HD dock is now $24 on Amazon, before shipping. Still, this is a cheap way to use usb devices away from a tv or monitor. Please keep all of this in mind before considering this option.
Many Bionic users have wondered if they could somehow use USB host without having to buy an expensive dock. Well, I have just finished testing a method that works. Now please note it's not the sleekest or most portable of methods. Still, it works.
Test Build - http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/silversonic1/GEDC0056.jpg
You may be wondering why I am using a Y USB cable. In my testing, I have come to the conclusion that Motorola intentionally crippled the phone's OTG functions. It appears that the host mode only works when TWO priorities are met. First, the phone MUST be receiving power. Second, a hub MUST be used. If either of these is not met, the OTG mode stays offline.
Because this method requires extra power, you have to have a powered USB port nearby. Some USB power packs may put out enough power, but it's still uncertain. However, since my Scosche solar battery pack worked both for the Bionic alone and for this build, it could be possible that anything that works for the Bionic will work for the build as well. Also, I have no way of testing this in a car at the moment.
Action Shot - http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/silversonic1/GEDC0052-1.jpg
In the action shot, I am testing a 4GB SanDisk Cruzer. I did run other tests and usb keyboards and mice will work. I used a wireless Targus mouse, as well as a wireless HP mouse and keyboard. They all worked. Sadly, that is the extent of my current HID tech at the moment.
One thing I have observed in my tests is that you should have all of your rig connected before hooking it up to your phone. That includes external power. Not doing so could cause your hub to be recognized much more slowly, or not at all.
I would also like to note that although many hubs allow for AC/DC power adapters to be used, most hubs won't send power through the host port. That is why the Y cable is necessary. But don't worry! I believe that if you attach the power connector of the Y cable to one of the ports of your powered hub, this should give you all the power you need for the phone to charge and activate the OTG mode.
Here's what you need.
USB hub with mini USB port for connecting to host device($5-$20)
Y USB cable($4)
USB Type A Female-USB Micro Male adapter($1-2)
Build subtotal-$10-$26, before tax or shipping. Depending on what you already own, this could still be cheaper than an HD Dock.
All hubs with a mini usb host port should work for this build. But if there are any that don't, please give me the make and model info so I can add them to the list below.
Hubs Confirmed Unusable
None so far
Thank you for looking this through. I hope it helps.
Update 11/7/12- Still works on the 246 OTA.
silversonic1 said:
Many Bionic users have wondered if they could somehow use USB host without having to buy an expensive dock. Well, I have just finished testing a method that works.
Now please note it's not the sleakest or most portable of methods. At this writing, I am still waiting on USB OTG connectors that are known to work for other devices. However, I didn't want to hold back a successful result while waiting on an unknown.
Test Build - http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/silversonic1/GEDC0056.jpg
You may be wondering why I am using a Y USB cable. Put simply, it gives the power needed to charge the phone and to power the hub. EXTERNAL POWER IS NECESSARY. Because this method requires extra power, you have to have a powered USB port nearby. Some USB power packs may put out enough power, but it's still uncertain. However, since my Scosche solar battery pack worked both for the Bionic alone and for this build, it could be possible that other packs that work for the Bionic will work as well.
Action Shot - http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/silversonic1/GEDC0052-1.jpg
In the action shot, I am testing a 4GB SanDisk Cruzer. I did run other tests and usb keyboards and mice will work. I used a wireless Targus mouse, as well as a wireless HP mouse and keyboard. They all worked. Sadly, that is the extent of my current HID tech at the moment.
One thing I have observed in my tests is that you should have all of your rig connected before hooking up your phone. That includes external power. Not doing so could cause your hub to be recognized much more slowly, or not at all.
Here's a list of the parts used. (Will update specifics if requested.)
USB hub with USB-mini interface for host device($5-$20)
Y USB cable($4)
USB Type A Female-USB Micro Male adapter($1-2)
Build subtotal-$10-$26, before tax or shipping. That's a lot cheaper than $55-$100 on an HD dock.
Thank you for looking this through. I hope it helps.
(Also, if this thread is in the wrong place, I'm sorry. I didn't think this was necessarily an accessory thing, but rather a way to utilize a built-in feature.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats freaking awesome dude
iNsAnEmOd said:
thats freaking awesome dude
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm glad you see it that way. It's my hope that this works for any Motorola device that is built with a lapdock mode.
I'm hoping someone makes an app that allows me to use my tablet for a keyboard and mousepad for the webtop. I'm not a fan of hanging out within 6 feet of my tv when using the webtop.
Sent from the Evil Empire
smokedkill said:
I'm hoping someone makes an app that allows me to use my tablet for a keyboard and mousepad for the webtop. I'm not a fan of hanging out within 6 feet of my tv when using the webtop.
Sent from the Evil Empire
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, this rig works with wireless keyboards and mice. True, not the same as a tablet, but it'll get you further from the tv.
As for what you are suggesting, I thought I had heard some people were working on something similar. I'll PM you if I find it.
xda premium is insane! ... In a good way.
What Components
What is the amperage output of the power source your using? Also what is the model number of the usb hub your using? i tried a usb hub i had but it didnt work. Also did you have to bridge the pin 4 to ground on the micro plug in essence creating a otg cable?
codenamefly21 said:
What is the amperage output of the power source your using? Also what is the model number of the usb hub your using? i tried a usb hub i had but it didnt work. Also did you have to bridge the pin 4 to ground on the micro plug in essence creating a otg cable?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok. One thing a a time.
Power.
In the action shot, I used my laptop. However, the charger that comes with the phone works as well. That's 5.1volts, 850mA
Model of hub.
I have tested 2 different hubs at this point. At the moment, the one from the photos is unavailable, so I can't get the model info from it now. However, the other I tested is a Manhattan 4-port USB hub, model 160612.
Connector.
I made no modifications to the connectors that I have used. They were, however, already being marketed as OTG adapters. I ordered the one from the pictures on dealextreme. I recently bought newer ones from ebay that are angled up the side of the phone. The new ones work as well.
I suggest that you make sure all of your connectors are secure. A proper connection will have the phone charging while the hub receives power. If it fails to connect to a device after 1 minute when you make your first connection, disconnect the phone and than reconnect.
If you still have trouble after, please post what you're using along with a pic of your setup. With any luck, we'll get it all sorted out.
Working portable prototype
I have a working portable prototype using a 9v battery as the power source. I think the problem with the initial test is that i wasnt waiting long enough for the phone to detect the usb hub and the memory card. Now i have it working fully. I have tried 2 different usb hubs and both worked. 1 was the micro innovations usb204n it worked but was a bit bulky. The second was one i bought from a store local to my home called biglots its an E Source brand 4port usb 2.0 $7. Its nice and slim with an extra ac port on the side. The setup ill be creating is i will wire a 9v battery to a 7805 voltage regulator (with an inline power switch of course) soldered directly to the pins of the ac port. Then i will desolder the usb plug and solder in my homemade otg cable. So all you will have to do is plug it directly to the phone plug in the usb drive and then flip the power switch. i dont wanna post pictures of the ugly prototype so ill have pictures of the final product this weekend. I will say that i found out a usb hub is not needed to use a mouse but the otg cable is. Thank you silversonic for your help
codenamefly21 said:
I have a working portable prototype using a 9v battery as the power source. I think the problem with the initial test is that i wasnt waiting long enough for the phone to detect the usb hub and the memory card. Now i have it working fully. I have tried 2 different usb hubs and both worked. 1 was the micro innovations usb204n it worked but was a bit bulky. The second was one i bought from a store local to my home called biglots its an E Source brand 4port usb 2.0 $7. Its nice and slim with an extra ac port on the side. The setup ill be creating is i will wire a 9v battery to a 7805 voltage regulator (with an inline power switch of course) soldered directly to the pins of the ac port. Then i will desolder the usb plug and solder in my homemade otg cable. So all you will have to do is plug it directly to the phone plug in the usb drive and then flip the power switch. i dont wanna post pictures of the ugly prototype so ill have pictures of the final product this weekend. I will say that i found out a usb hub is not needed to use a mouse but the otg cable is. Thank you silversonic for your help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am certainly looking forward to seeing what all you have come up with. Just take your time. After all, I'm sure there are those who are willing to build a more stylish solution than I have up top.
Battery powered usb hub
Ok so i finished the battery powered usb hub that connects to any micro usb phone but it was to bulky using the 9v battery. So i came up with another design using an old cell phone battery. So it is rechargeable as soon as i add the on off switch it will be finished.
---------- Post added at 09:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:44 PM ----------
The usb hub was just too bulky using the 9v battery
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Rechargeable battery powered usb hub with otg cable
Here is the finished hardware. I took pictures before i seal it all up so yall could see what all i did. The usb hub has a otg cable that plugs into your phone. It has a 950mah cell phone battery and the circuitry from an emergency charger that converts 2 aa batteries (3v) to 5v. Also on the circuitry was an led flashlight so i decided to keep it in there just in case . The only problem was that the off switch that was on the circuit wouldn't shut off the power to the hub for some reason so i put a secondary switch on the power wire to the hub. I had a problem with the charger charging the battery because it charges the battery based on voltage and the capacitors were screwing that up so i put a diode on the power going into the up-scaling circuit board but not as to break the connection with the charger to battery wires.
That is certainly the most mobile solution to USB host so far. Kudos!
problem
I was having a problem soon after I put everything together. Anytime I plugged the phone in the circuit would shut down because to much amperage was being pulled from the battery and as a safety thing lithium batteries will shut down so they wont over heat I finally realized all I had to do was put an 8ohm resistor on the power wire going from the usb hub to the phone. 8ohm only because that was what I had. I tried a 1/2ohm resistor and it worked but the less amperage being pulled from the battery the longer it lasts and the circuit doesn't get as hot.
hey man, thanks a lot for your research! i hopped on this thread and about 30 seconds later i had my wireless (unifying usb receiver) logitech keyboard and mouse working
had a male->male usb cable, usb hub, and micro usb male -> full female lying around. plugged everything in and presto!
the touchscreen monitor doesn't work though for webtop
More than likely because touch screen drivers aren't as generic as mice or keyboards. But it was a good thing to try out. Mind sharing the make and model info? It will be helpful to others to know what to expect.
Mine works, cheapo Micro Center hub
I actually spoke with the OP this weekend, and before I read his reply, I was up and running. Sadly, I bought a Manhattan hub based on his findings, which was a bit pricey given the current price of normal USB hubs. I paid $15 on ebay for one, and when I got it, it didn't work. I then bought a usb Y cable from ebay as well, and that was the culprit, that cable was necessary for any hub, regardless if it uses an AC power adapter or not.
On a good note, that means that there's a good chance cheaper (and easier to find) USB hubs may work. The one I'm currently using is Gear Head brand, was $9 at Micro Center. That hub without using the included power cable, and just using the Y usb cable bought separately and the OTG adapter on ebay got me up and running.
Hmmm...now that I look, it seems the hub I got for $9 went up to $15 anyway, but here's what I used incase you have a MC closeby and don't feel like waiting for shipping. Search for SKU 280750 on Microcenter's site. I'm new here so it won't let me post URL's.
Bad news is you'll be paying a total of around $20 for this project, the good news is that may be the maximum you'd be paying, and that's if you buy a $15 usb hub. Honestly, I'd say just look around local stores for one cheaper that has a mini USB port to connect it to the phone + external power usb port (i.e. a laptop next to the phone), and if it doesn't work, return it as long as you can box it up without it looking demolished. Best of luck to everyone, but I hope my verification shows there may be more hope since the Manhattan model is fairly hard to find at a cheap price.
silversonic1 said:
You may be wondering why I am using a Y USB cable. In my testing, I have come to the conclusion that Motorola intentionally crippled the phone's OTG functions. It appears that the host mode only works when TWO priorities are met. First, the phone MUST be receiving power. Second, a hub MUST be used. If either of these is not met, the OTG mode stays offline.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd imagine they didn't want both the phone and Lapdock trying to send power over USB simultaneously.
Thanks for the guide, it was useful
mossadacity said:
I'd imagine they didn't want both the phone and Lapdock trying to send power over USB simultaneously.
Thanks for the guide, it was useful
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're welcome. I have updated to the ICS leak, so I will have to test again, just to be sure that nothing has changed.
3d printed docking station
silversonic1 said:
More than likely because touch screen drivers aren't as generic as mice or keyboards. But it was a good thing to try out. Mind sharing the make and model info? It will be helpful to others to know what to expect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for the delayed reply.
I buy generic cables from meritline.com, so there is no brand on them :good:
I think I'm the first person on Thingiverse to create an accessory for the droid bionic, what do you guys think of it:
That was iteration #1, to get the dimensions correct. From here, I can go anywhere. Do folks have any dock dreams they'd like to see come to fruition?
For a while now I've wanted to be able to use my waterproof camera to take pictures, and use my phone to upload them to the web without needing to fire up a computer to do a transfer from the SD card to the phone. This thread inspired me to finally take the leap to work up an OTG adapter. I went on Amazon to buy the Y-cable and the little adapters, but found something better.
This (board won't let me post a link because I'm new) is a USB hub that connects a phone to one of the four downstream ports with a built-in micro USB connector cable. I ordered one up, suspecting that I could mod it to be an OTG adapter. I was right.
To do the mod, the first step is to pry the endcap off the micro USB connector and slide the cover back. This exposes the soldered wire connections. One side of the connector has three wires.
The other side has one wire and an empty solder pad.
Solder a jumper wire from the empty pad to the black wire on the other side.
Then slide the connector cover back over the connector, and press the endcap back into place. If necessary, you can secure the end cap with a drop of super glue.
Next, open the case of the hub. Mine pulled right open with only finger pressure. Use a small screwdriver to remove the circuit board. It is not held by anything other than a light press fit.
This is the back side of the circuit board.
This is the chip that runs the USB hub.
I googled the chip number and downloaded the data sheet, just to be sure there were no gotchas. There weren't any. The only modification is swapping the regular and the micro USB cables. It goes without saying that this requires a very fine soldering iron and a steady hand. Desolder both cables and reattach the micro USB cable on the Host end of the circuit board.
This lets your phone control the hub. As was mentioned earlier in the thread, the Droid Bionic won't power the hub, so you need to hook up the other USB cable to the device side of the circuit board to provide power. Only hook up the power wires. Just cut the data wires short.
Then reinstall the circuit board into the case.
And press the cover back on.
It would be easy to wire a battery to the hub either by connecting to the USB port cable, through the 5VDC power input jack, or by removing the jack and hard wiring directly to the circuit board.
To use the adapter, I plug my SD card reader into the hub, plug the power USB connector into my wall adapter (or car adapter), and plug the micro USB cable into the phone (in that order). The phone immediately loads the card as an attached storage device.
Enjoy,
Todd F.
I just wanted to share what I'd done for my streak in order to quit carrying a cable around everywhere. This is just a quick outline of what I did and supplies I used to make it.
Disclaimer:I am in no way responsible for your warranty getting void, phone blowing up starting ww3 or any other faults that may be the result of attempting this
Parts list:
1x streak usb cable
http://www.ebay.com/itm/16065922734...NX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649#ht_500wt_1286
1x micro usb to mini usb adapter
http://www.ebay.com/itm/25098693990...X:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649#ht_3016wt_1035
1x old dvd case
5 minute epoxy
Optional:
small piece of carbon fiber vinyl
what to do:
-cut micro usb out of its rubber/plastic shell
-desolder all the wires
-cut the streak cable close to pdmi connector
-refer to this site for usb diagram, make sure to note that there's one pin that gets skipped over on the micro usb adapter
http://pinouts.ru/SerialPortsCables/usb_cable_pinout.shtml
-solder wires accordingly refer to my pictures if you get lost (the pdmi cable comes with all the wires correctly color coded)
-plug into streak and see if it works
-if everything works proceed to make a plastic shell for it out of dvd case
-use a little bit of epoxy to mount everything and keep it from sliding around
end result should look something like this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnLv5UIocW8&feature=youtu.be
Hi I'm not trying to negate the value of your guide in any way. I think a permanent mod to a compatible connection makes a lot of sense, especially if one never plans on using a Dell Streak 7 dock. However, if you're not that motivated and or aren't willing to brick your device this is a great $8 solution: http://www.ebay.com/itm/140853176551?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649.
The cable you linked to wouldn't work, because the jack on the non-PDMI end is a USB A female connector, which accepts the end of the USB cable (USB A male) that normally plugs into the laptop or PC itself. To make it as useful as the DIY adapter the OP mentioned would require you to dismantle the host adapter and replace the USB A female jack with a MicroUSB B female jack.
PDMI connector to mini usb connector
Hello man. My name is Mario. I come from Italy. I'm a psychologist,but on the spare time I like to play with linux & mobile & tablet & technology in general. I was searching for a OTG adapter that was able to recharge my nexus 10 and at the same time that accepts an external sd card and someone has suggests this to me :
eKit 4 in 1 Data Sync Connection Kit For Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 & Note 10.1
you can read the full story here :
http://android.stackexchange.com/que...-the-same-time
the problem is that I haven't read very well what he says and I haven't understood that it is not good for the nexus 10. For this reason I have tried to search a way to convert the PDMI connector to a mini usb connector and I have found this thread. I would like to ask you if I can make the same thing that you have done and if you can tell me which electric modification I have to make to the board of this connector to convert it as a mini usb connector. Thanks.
My problem is simple, i'm tethering my Wifi Nexus 10 to my Galaxy S3 and the S3 just doesn't have the staying power of the tablet and the AP is battery intensive.
I have considered:
Extended battery (unofficial) - don't want the bulk.
Extended battery (official) - not cost effective.
The other option would be usb otg and charger cable but I'd like a single cable if possible.
To make it clear - I'm looking for a double ended micro usb (B) cable.
If anyone knows of a reason this wouldn't work please do say
You could use this adapter with your original cable to see if it dies the job.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Right-Angle...006572?pt=PDA_Accessories&hash=item27ccd180ac
I have the same setup (nexus10 and s3) let us know if it does work.
You could try monoprice.com. I get all of my cords and such from them.
eBuyer tend to be pretty good for this stuff.
Just FYI, I tried this using an OTG adapter and a standard USB-A to USB-B micro cable. Depending on which side I plug the OTG adapter into, the S3 charges the Nexus (when the adapter is plugged into the S3) or vice versa (when the adapter is plugged into the N10).
EDIT: It would be interesting to try though what would happen if one was to connect the four pins (VCC, D+, D-, GND) directly to one another, with the ID pin being left unconnected (since that is what a Micro-B to Micro-B cable would most likely do). My guess is that nothing will happen, since neither of the devices assumes a master/slave state and so it doesn't know that it should supply power to the other device. I guess I need to order some Micro-B plugs at Digi-Key and whip up a cable...
--fbrozovic
I found this product and was absolutely amazed with the quality and ease of use. It has hdmi, usb, sdcard, and micro sd card slots. You can find it here http://www.juicedsystems.com/product/juiced-systems-5-in-1-mhl-adapter/
Also the customer service is great if u have any problems, its warranty is amazing as well, if there is any defective product , contact juiced systems and they will replace it.
If u have 1 of these already then here is an instruction manual to help u better understand your product.
http://db.tt/X2OVU08o
Hi,
Thanks for the manual, very helpful. That is really a pity that no information is provided along with the adapter, neither in the box, nor on their web site. Where did you get it ? From Juice System support ?
I have got that connection kit. Everything works with my Galaxy note 2, but with the following strange behaviour:
The kit was delivered with a 11pin to 5pin adapter. Since S3 and GN2 have 11pin connector, I assumed first I had to use it, but nothing happened with my USB dongle or with any other USB device. Then I found out how to make that work:
For USB device, or SD / micro SD card, the adapter must be removed. The connection kit is power supplied directly by the phone. However, the phone can be charged if we connect the wall charger. The LED indicator and the button behave as described in the manual.
But HDMI output does not work at all.
To connect a HDMI cable, the 11 to 5 pins adapter must be used, and the wall charger must be connected. Then the connection kit is powered only by the wall charger. That seems that I get a normal 1080p signal with a 44khz 5.1 PCM audio stream (that is at least what my AV receiver says). But if I disconnect the HDMI cable and the wall charger, then USB, SD card are not recognized and nothing happens.
Do you have the same behaviour ?
After further investigation, the behaviour I described seems "normal".
That adapter was designed for GS2, which as a 5 pin MHL connector. So the data lines are switched in USB mode or MHL mode by the connection kit.
But the GS3 and GN2 have 11pin connector, with independent USB and MHL data lines.
So without the 11 to 5 adapter, only the USB pins are routed to the connection kit.
With the 11 to 5 adapter, only the MHL pins are routed to the connection kit.
Does anybody know of a working MHL adapter with at least a 12" USB cable?
I tried these and they do not work (work probably 1 out of 20 times if you keep plugging/unplugging)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KGP5SEC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009LAZG2M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I have an old samsung (link below) which works but the USB cable is very short
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009LAZG2M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Thanks!
has anybody tried this?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/3M-MHL-Micr...Phone_PDA_Cables_Adapters&hash=item3f3a100cdd
Is the Skiva MHL Micro USB to male HDMI cable (6.5 feet) for Samsung Galaxy S3 (SIII LTE i9300 L710 i747... the one that works with your M8?
I really want to get one that will work.
daniel2744 said:
Is the Skiva MHL Micro USB to male HDMI cable (6.5 feet) for Samsung Galaxy S3 (SIII LTE i9300 L710 i747... the one that works with your M8?
I really want to get one that will work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, only the old Samsung one works consistently which has the short usb cAble.
I bought this one: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171391851548
works perfectly as I think most will.
It's all down to the sequence you plug the cables in.
Power>Phone>HDMI
Cant remember the correct sequence but try it out.
COPIED FROM AMAZON AD.
1. connect the charger to the adapter cable and power supply
2. connect the adapter cable to the HDTV device
3. connect the Smartphone to the adapter cable
Westylakey said:
I bought this one: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171391851548
works perfectly as I think most will.
It's all down to the sequence you plug the cables in.
Power>Phone>HDMI
Cant remember the correct sequence but try it out.
COPIED FROM AMAZON AD.
1. connect the charger to the adapter cable and power supply
2. connect the adapter cable to the HDTV device
3. connect the Smartphone to the adapter cable
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried allcombinations before posting and none works consistently with the 2 cables I bought .
With the old Samsung adapter, it doesn't matter which order you plug in phone, power and hdmi.
I don't think all cables/adapters (advertised as 5 pin) are same. It cut open the usb part from the working Samsung adapter and it has 7 wires.
The other non working ones have 5.
If anyone is interested to know, this one works for me most of the time. Doesn't matter which order I plug it in (I usually plug the phone last though)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/3M-MHL-Micr...Phone_PDA_Cables_Adapters&hash=item4185f8bc11
Its 3m in length and requires external power to work. It charges the phone although slower than MHL drains, i.e. your phone will still be discharging while connected via MHL but at a much slower rate.